Bigger Than Us
by spinzgirl
Summary: Allura's final battle with Haggar has her pinned down, and things aren't looking too good. Tumblr prompt, for Kallura month 2018 Title is from Josh Groban's song of the same name.
1. Signal

Allura's body was slow to respond, the exhaustion of fighting so many druids leaving her limbs heavy. Once again she picked herself up off the floor and stood before the witch Haggar. The buzz of magic crackled in the air as the rival alchemists prepared another volley.

The Princess never had a chance to aim, the bolt of energy rushing her like a rogue wave. The first shot landed like a cannonball to her chest, flinging her into the air. She crashed back to the unforgiving metal floor of Haggar's ship with a loud thud. Pain prevented her from moving, much less protecting herself. The next hit would likely kill her.

As another round flashed towards her Allura flinched, squeezing her eyes shut as if the act might reverse her fortune.

First she heard a scream. Then there was a loud pop followed by an anguished cry. The second voice was all too familiar, and she prayed she wouldn't be greeted by a familiar face when she opened her eyes.

When she looked up she saw Keith hovering over her, sweat dripping from his hair onto her face. A fading light from behind him gave him the appearance of an ethereal being before disappearing entirely. Craning her neck to look around him she saw his blade faintly glowing as it clattered to the ground.

"Is she gone?"

He nodded, his breathing too labored to allow him to speak. Even though she'd instructed the team to stay out of her battle with Haggar, Keith had taken it upon himself to come assist. She wanted to be angry at him but her heart was overwhelmed. A powerful witch like Haggar could easily kill him after all yet he chose to be by his princess' side, even at the risk of his own life.

With what power she could muster Allura reached for his pale face. His countenance was fading, his body convulsing as he tried to prevent himself from placing the full weight of his body on her. Wrapping her free arm around him she gently moved him to lay beside her, sitting herself up enough to see his face.

"Thank you, you saved my life."

"I almost didn't," he responded, grimacing as he spoke. "I was almost too late."

Allura couldn't help but muster a smile at this. "You've always been right on time."

He responded by coughing up blood as alarms began to blare. Allura found her helmet and hailed Coran on the comms. His assessment was grim.

The warship was set for self-destruct.

Looking around frantically she spotted Keith's helmet and crawled across the floor to retrieve it. She realized that her right leg was dragging, likely broken. The fight had sapped her ability to heal quickly and left her desperate for a nearby escape route.

Quickly she slid herself back to an unconscious Keith, wrapping him in her arms as she pulled him into her chest. "Coran, on my signal fire just above our location!"

"But what if-"

"Just do it…. _now_!" she screamed, fear punctuating every word.

A blast punched a hole in the hull of the ship, the void of space sucking them out into its murky emptiness.

Their momentum sent the two paladins careening, the blasters of their suits too damaged to steady them. All too soon the Galra ship began to break apart, pieces of metal flying in all directions. There was no avoiding them and a large chunk crashed into them, knocking Keith out of her grasp. Allura clawed desperately at him, unable to reach his limp form.

Another large shard slammed into her helmet. As she lost consciousness she could see the man she loved drifting out of view.

"Come back to me," she cried as her vision went black.


	2. Playing House

Allura finished unpacking her clothes and putting them away in the drawers as Keith hung his things in the closet. Compared to the castle their new home was tiny, but she was willing to make concessions for his sake. After all she'd completely abandoned her people to stay on Earth with him, so she didn't deserve to live like royalty anymore.

As if he sensed a change in her mood, Keith rounded the bed and embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Princess?"

She felt a pang of guilt at the title. "You calling me that, for one thing. I'm not anyone's princess anymore," she sighed.

Keith tightened his grip on her as he pressed kisses into her cheek. "Sorry, old habits die hard I suppose."

"I gave it up for you, the least you could do is help me feel like I made the right choice."

This time he didn't respond, releasing her from his hold and leaving the room in a huff. Allura thought to chase after him but stubbornness locked her in place. The fact was she'd been having second thoughts but simply couldn't admit it to him. Not after what he'd done for her.

Instead she busied herself around the bedroom, making sure everything was where it belonged. Well, her things at least. Some of the stuff Keith had brought didn't look familiar and Allura had no idea where to put it. There was a bottle of foamy stuff that smelled a lot like an Earth fruit but didn't taste like it.

"Allura, what are you doing? That's not edible, it's for your hair!"

The former princess looked up to see Keith standing in the doorway trying to hide his amusement. Annoyed, she slammed the item on the dresser and threw herself on the bed. Living on Earth was hard enough without being clueless about everything.

"You know, it says 'Mousse' on the container, isn't that a type of food?" she asked defensively.

Finally Keith cracked a smile. "If it were you'd see Hunk walking around with it constantly. He loves food you can eat from a nozzle"

"I suppose," she admitted, sitting up as she laughed at his joke. "That explains why Lance has a cabinet full of this stuff in his room." She caught herself but not before the last word escaped her lips.

Keith's reaction was swift. His smile disappeared as his countenance darkened. "Right, you would know a lot about what Lance has in his room I suppose."

Allura jumped up and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "That's not what I meant. It wasn't like that," she insisted. "Please don't be angry with me."

Unfortunately Lance entered the room just as she was trying to smooth things over with Keith. Afraid that things might turn ugly she tried to shoo the blue paladin away quickly. Instead he just looked at her oddly and grabbed her shoulder, shaking it roughly.

"Allura, what are you doing here? You need to go to bed!"

Half expecting Keith's fist to land a blow on Lance's jaw, Allura turned to push Lance away from them. Strangely she couldn't get him to budge no matter how hard she shoved. He wasn't that strong, so had she grown weak? Frantically she plead with him to stop, finally turning to Keith for help.

Only Keith wasn't there. She didn't see him leave the room, but there's no place else he could have gone.

 _Why does he always leave me like this?_

Lance was still shaking her, even harder than before. "Princess! Wake up! You can't sleep here."

Allura wanted to ask him what he was talking about. She wasn't asleep, and this was her new home now. Why was he having such a hard time understanding? It wasn't his place to tell her what she could or couldn't do, after all.

And yet, when she went to admonish him no words came out. Several times she opened her mouth but got nothing more than a squeak. Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

Now Shiro and Coran were in the room, all calling out to her. She wanted to cover her ears and run, yet her legs were useless. It was all starting to feel like a bad dream…

" _ **ALLURA!"**_

 _Jolting up in her chair the Princess looked around the room, blurred vision preventing her from making anything out at first. Several blinks and an eye-rub later she could finally make out where she was._

" _Did I fall asleep?" she asked, already knowing the answer._

 _Shiro crouched next to her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You had another nightmare, didn't you?"_

 _Allura nodded solemnly. She'd had so many since Keith disappeared. This one was different, though. This one wasn't him being attacked by the white lion at least. Maybe things were about to change._

 _Maybe they'd finally find him after all this time._


	3. In Your Dreams

Allura walked by Keith's bedroom for the eighth time that day. Even when it was out of her way somehow that's where her footsteps led her. This time she stopped, feeling a tug in her chest as she passed the threshold. Since the paladin had gone missing so many months ago only Coran occasionally entered the room to dust and tidy up a bit.

At first she felt uncomfortable invading his privacy, but she also wanted to feel close to him. Opening the door she was greeted by a familiar scent. It smelled like Keith after a long workout, causing a wave of nostalgia to wash over her. Unlike the other guys he managed to smell even better when he had neglected to shower.

The smell was strongest from his bed. Allura supposed the sheets hadn't been changed since they lost him, not that she minded. Crawling onto the mattress she hugged his pillow into her chest and inhaled deeply, imagining what it would be like if he were really there with her. Soon she found herself overcome with exhaustion and closed her eyes to rest for a few ticks.

A wet tongue lapping at her hand woke her up with a start. Cosmo had appeared out of nowhere- not much of a feat for a creature like that- and seemed to want her attention. Allura sat up as he hopped on the bed next to her. She smoothed his fur with her palms as she spoke soothingly to him.

"You miss Keith too, don't you?"

His answer came in the form of a nose to her face, nuzzling her cheek mournfully.

Their quiet understanding of each other was interrupted by a call from Hunk. "Allura, have you seen that mangy wolf?"

Allura didn't want to give away her location and she also didn't want to snitch on the lonely pup. "No, why? What's wrong?"

Hunk's voice got louder and more frantic. "He just took off with the basket of sandwiches I made for tomorrow's team picnic!"

"Just now?"

"Yeah, like two minutes ago."

Allura ended the call and looked at the creature next to her. There was no basket, and no way he could have eaten it that quickly. Something else was going on, that much she was sure of.

Cosmo whimpered and tugged at her sleeve, seeming to want her to go somewhere. "What is it boy? Do you want to show me where you took the food?"

She felt silly asking but secretly hoped she was understood. After all it seemed the space wolf could understand them, especially when he'd saved them from numerous tight squeezes. Still she didn't expect a response and decided to go back to sleep for a bit.

Nightmares had haunted her during Keith's absence, but they were always the same. Or at least the same sequence. For every dream got longer, showing her more of the same storyline. She saw Keith being grabbed by the Black Lion before disappearing into a wormhole, just like what had happened in reality. But then she saw him afterward, too.

At first the dream showed Keith's body lying still inside the cockpit. Allura would always wake up crying, her hair soaked with tears. Every night- no, everytime she drifted off- she saw the same scene. It was two months before the story progressed. Eventually she saw the lion open its mouth and a bright light shone in, making it impossible to see anything or anyone.

Then she saw Keith lying before the white lion. He was still wearing his helmet so she couldn't see his face, but his lack of movement told her he was in bad shape. The lion always roared angrily, snapping her awake when it did. So far she hasn't gotten past that point. But after the dream she had earlier maybe things were changing.

Maybe Keith had been saved after all.

And yet as she fell into a deep slumber the dream played itself for her again, starting with Keith floating in space, just outside her reach. This time, however, she woke when the bright light appeared. Allura squinted her eyes thinking someone had entered the room and turned on the lamp by the bed; she felt around blindly for the switch to turn it back off.

There was no switch. Or lamp. Or table.

Frantically the princess tried to get her bearings. Panic began to set in as she realized the glow from her dream was the same as the blinding glare she was surrounded by now, except this time she could feel the warmth from it too. Once it dissipated she saw the familiar scenery of Oriande, the pyramid temple gleaming in the distance.

A howl brought her back to her senses. She looked to Kosmo and realized he must have zapped them there in an attempt to find Keith. What she didn't understand was how he had managed such a feat. Previous attempts to get there were thwarted by the guardian white lion, and here he just waltzed right in as if he belonged there.

"Hello, Allura."

The princess jumped to her feet at the sound of her name being called. The voice was unfamiliar and yet comforting all the same. Finally her eyes found a female figure standing at a distance, a woman who looked very much like her mother.


	4. Defender of the Universe

Before Allura could register what she was seeing Cosmo leapt forward, tail wagging, as he raced to the woman who looked eerily like Queen Melanor. The princess stood and brushed herself off, straightening her bed hair as she cautiously approached as well. She cleared her throat to call from a distance, afraid to close the gap until the situation could be better read.

"Who are you?" she asked in her most diplomatic voice. "And how do you know me?"

The woman smiled as she reached down to pat Cosmo on the head. "I'm the Goddess Fala, ruler of Oriande," she answered calmly, as if she anticipated the question. "And I'm your mother."

Allura was shocked at the response, taking two steps back as she shook her head emphatically. "You can't be," she insisted angrily. "My mother died when I was a girl!"

This time the woman- no, Goddess- approached Allura. Her steps were silent, almost as if she weren't touching the ground. When she was within arms reach she stretched out her hands once again, allowing Allura to decide if she would reach back.

Cosmo came to Allura's side, nudging her elbow with his head. Once again it seemed that the wolf understood what was happening. It also appeared that he trusted the deity. Knowing how close he was to Keith she decided to take his wordless advice.

Taking a tentative step forward, Allura moved to link arms with Fala's. Once her hands clasped the other's forearms she felt an energy pulse through her body. It was similar to what she felt when she was accepted by the white lion during her last visit.

This time, however, it felt more like home.

Closing her eyes Allura saw visions of her childhood: her first breath, her first step, even her first word.

"My precious daughter, you've grown into such a beautiful and powerful woman. I'm so proud of you."

The words should have warmed her heart but instead they felt harsh, even if they weren't meant to be. Allura thought of all the ways she'd failed as a leader.

She thought of how she failed Keith.

 _Right, that's why I'm here._

"Wait, where is Keith? Isn't he here?"

The goddess' countenance dimmed slightly as she gave Allura a small smile.

"Let's go into the temple, I'll explain everything to you there."

In the blink of an eye they transported into the chamber where the trials had begun so long ago. This time nothing threatening happened, however, much to her relief. Yet the room felt heavy, as if something sinister were just outside its boundaries.

The goddess directed Allura to a wall inscribed with ancient writings. Before there had been no time to inspect them but now it was apparent that these were older than the Altean language she knew. Running her fingers across the cool stone there was a sense of importance, as if her own future was imprinted there.

And her own past.

Turning to Fala she straightened her back as she began to express her doubts. "You can't possibly be my mother. You look like her, but my mother was Altean. Why are you lying to me?"

This time the deity smiled brighter as she recalled her story. "I existed long before I gave birth to you," she admitted. "Indeed I _am_ a guardian of this universe, and I am charged with defending against the darkness that resides in other realities."

Allura was confused. "Isn't there darkness here already?"

Fala pointed to the far end of the wall, indicating where the story began. The princess walked to it, resting her palm on the hieroglyphs there. As she concentrated a blue glow began to emanate and visions of the distant past played like a movie in her mind.

There was a battle- long before Altea came to exist- between light and darkness. A powerful demon had attempted to steal the power of the light and as punishment was banished into another reality by Voltron, a mighty warrior built by the Goddess with powers greater than her own. Evil still existed in the universe but was significantly weakened. No longer needed, Voltron was broken into five lions and sealed away.

Soon the planets saved by Voltron flourished, yet the beings of those planets eventually forgot about the Defender of the Universe. Evil once again was on the rise.

In an attempt to maintain a positive force Altea was born, with the Alteans created specifically for this purpose. Alchemists connected the people to the guardians that dwelled within the temple, using their powers to enrich the inhabitants of the universe.

For thousands of years a relative peace was maintained, and all was well.

Finally the visions ended and Allura turned to the woman who claimed to be her mother. "I don't understand. Why did everything change?"

"Many came to Oriande to enhance their powers. Most had selfish reasons so they failed. But one day a handsome young king entered the trials and his heart was shown to be pure. I was enchanted by him, and decided to join him as his wife."

"So you really are my mother?"

Fala nodded, embracing her daughter for the first time in over ten-thousand years. The two women could not contain their tears, emotions both happy and sad overwhelming them. The princess felt her heart might burst as it felt full for the first time in a very long time.

Still, Allura realized that her question wasn't fully answered.

"Then why didn't you stay? If you were so happy what caused you to come back to Oriande?" she asked, her heart aching for answers. "What happened to make you leave us behind?"

"Voltron returned."


	5. Captivate

"Voltron? But how?"

Her mother directed Allura to another section of writings, this time with a drawing that was obviously the giant robot. As Allura used her powers to see the story it became clear what had befallen their reality.

The demon that was banished had long sought a way back and had finally found a weakened point right in the center of Daibazaal. Because Queen Melanor had left Oriande, the guardian council decided to revive the mighty robot warrior to fight the creature in the other reality. They sent it to Altea to be assembled; however the comet in which it was secured was pulled to the weakened spot where the demon was attempting to break through.

The impact completely opened the rift, leaving their reality at risk once more.

"Your father rushed to complete Voltron before the creature realized the rift had opened," Fala spoke, picking up where the vision left off. "Time in that really passes much slower than ours."

Allura felt her gut wrench when she heard those words. "Is that why my dreams of Keith end at the same point, barely ever changing?" she asked, dreading the answer. "Is he in that reality?"

The goddess didn't answer directly, simply bowing her head mournfully. "You must know it wasn't my intention to use him this way."

Panic set in as Allura's mind assembled the pieces. "You're holding him hostage? In the reality where that THING is?"

Suddenly she felt her legs give out as she collapsed to the floor. When she arrived in Oriande she'd expected to find Keith alive and well. The fact that her own mother would do this broke her very being.

"He knew this was coming," the goddess assured her. "He'd seen the vision and was prepared to sacrifice himself for you."

"Why Keith?"

"Because he has the power to hold the creature there."

"You fought it before," Allura countered. "Voltron defeated it."

"That was before Haggar sealed off Oriande," Fala answered, her voice faltering slightly. "Before she used the demon to siphon my powers. When Haggar died the seal was broken and the Black Lion was able to bring him here, but it was the most I could do to save his life."

Allura couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After all she'd been the reason the witch found Oriande in the first place. Everything that happened because she trusted Lotor was a blight on her soul.

She'd hurt their allies. She'd hurt the team. Worst of all she'd hurt Keith, many times over it seemed.

 _No, she'd doomed him_.

"Send me instead."

Allura looked to her mother expectantly. She wanted her to understand how sincere she was, how much she wanted to protect the person most precious to her. If Fala loved King Alfor enough to abandon her role as guardian then surely she could understand Allura's need to take on the mantle, even if just for one man.

"That's impossible I'm afraid."

Anger began to bubble up in the princess' chest. "It can't be. You sent him there somehow, didn't you?"

Fala shook her head. "I didn't even have the power to send him. I simply showed him the way."

There was more than her mother was telling her, of that she was certain. Keith had abilities that didn't seem normal for an average human like Lance, but he certainly did not have the power of a deity. He'd never have been able to waltz right in to another reality so easily.

Unless…

"Mother, why can't I take Voltron to fight the beast?"

The goddess knelt beside her daughter, reaching her arm around Allura's shoulders. "Because the creature could infect your team," she answered thoughtfully. "And it could use you all to destroy this reality."

"Haggar seemed to be able to resist its control."

"She was powerful enough as a child of Altea. As an alchemist of Oriande."

"So it's infected Keith," Allura surmised. "But he's not Altean. So why is he that he can control the creature?"

Queen Melanor looked to Cosmo and beckoned him over. Resting her hand on his head she turned back to Allura and offered a cryptic response.

"Maybe you should ask his father."


	6. Meeting Again for the First Time

Allura was less than amused by her mother's cruel joke. She'd had precious little time to speak to Keith about his father, but could only assume he'd have mentioned if his dad were some sort of shape-shifting alien. Still, she was growing impatient and wanted answers immediately. Every moment wasted put Keith further in danger.

"I'm sorry," she replied coolly, "I don't appreciate you referring to someone so dear to me as a _dog_."

Cosmo growled in response before backing away. When a light flashed around him Allura thought for sure he'd disappear like he tended to do from the Atlas; instead the glowing image of a man appeared. His face was not one she knew but had a familiarity to it. She peered at him in an attempt to focus better.

She gasped as she realized he really did look like he could be Keith's father. "I thought you were dead." The harsh words flew out of her mouth in an accusatory manner. "No, Keith _thinks_ you are dead."

Her eyes flicked between the two errant parents, wondering what she and Keith had done to earn such cruel fates. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from interrupting what she hoped would be an acceptable explanation. Yet she could only imagine his likely excuse would be that he had to leave to fight the creature, and that it would be no more comforting than the goddess' admission even if it were for the good of the universe. After all, the saying that war is hell comes from a place of truth.

Truth was she felt that hell might be a nicer place than where she was standing at that moment.

"His father- no, the human from whom he was created- is dead," he started, considering his words carefully. "He was my last human host on Earth. But because I used him as a vessel Keith received some of my powers, not unlike you with your mother's."

"But Keith doesn't have the same powers as me," Allura argued, as if making her point might allow her to take his place.

"Because his father was a knight of Aesh," Queen Melanor replied, "Keith's powers are different."

"I'm sorry, guardian of what?"

Fala waved her hand to draw up a map of the universe. On one end was Oriande, a massive white hole that served as an entrance to their universe. At the opposite end was Aesh, a massive black hole that was the exit. Allura could only guess that there was a deity that ruled over that realm as well.

"So am I to understand that the ruler of Aesh is the demon?"

This time Keith's father answered her. "He was once a god. But his lust for power drove him to do evil things."

"He wasn't naturally evil," the goddess added, "he was the god of darkness only."

Allura could feel herself become ill at the implications. Keith not only had Galra heritage but also was the son of a dark entity? But he'd always proven himself loyal to her, and she quickly pushed any doubts from her mind. If anything he deserved that she do everything in her power to protect him.

And she very much wanted to do that. She wanted him back with the team. _With her._

"I demand you let me go to him. He shouldn't suffer alone," Allura pled, tears streaking her cheeks. "It's not fair, he's just found his mother, and now his father is alive!"

Fala would not be moved however, simply reverting the guardian of Aesh back into a wolf. He stepped towards the princess and, before she had a chance to protest, he transported the two of them back to the Atlas.

Concerned that the team might have missed her she immediately hailed Hunk on the comms. "I found Cosmo but not the sandwiches," she explained, curious as to how much time had passed.

His response was unexpected. "Wait, he ate them already?

Allura closed the channel without a response. She'd been led to believe Keith was awake when he went to Aesh, but if time traveled faster at Oriande then he must have gone directly to Aesh, where it would move slower. She sat on the edge of the bed in a huff as she turned her attention to a more subdued space wolf.

"My mother didn't tell me everything, did she?" the princess asked as she buried her face in his soft fur.

She noticed he didn't smell like any dog she'd met on Earth; instead he reminded her of visits to Keith's desert home, where the two would lay on the ground and look up at the stars. Keith would always point to a star and say it was where he wanted to live after the war.

She wondered if that's where he was now.

Her fists tightened around tufts of Cosmo's dark fur as she imagined Keith fighting the demon of Aesh all alone. The wolf- no, Keith's father- seemed to sense her despair as he nudged her hair with his nose. As she began to weep for her lost paladin she felt herself being transported to the blue lion. Curious, she sat in the pilot's seat as she reached for the controls to see how they'd react. She felt the lion lurch forward as it launched from it's bay. The screen in front of her lit up, but instead of seeing the Atlas she saw Aesh in the distance.

A moment of elation was soon shattered as she realized she was seeing the past through the lion's eyes.

 _Wait, not that. Through Cosmo's eyes._

The wolf moved to sit at her feet, his head resting on her knees. She placed her right hand on his head, leaving the left on the flight controls. Then the princess closed her eyes as her chin dropped to her chest. When she spoke it was directed to both Cosmo and the lion.

"Please. Tell me how to save Keith."


	7. From Days of Long Ago

Allura gasped in wonder as the scenery of Aesh came into clearer view. It was a carbon copy of Oriande, but completely different at the same time. Where the landscape of Oriande was doused in hues of pinks, purples and reds, the opposite was true in Aesh. The ground was almost as white as a desert, the mountains painted yellow and green. A blue reminiscent of Altea appeared in the crevices surrounding the temple.

It really looked more like Altea than did Oriande, which was instead bedecked in the same color scheme as Daibazaal.

The biggest difference was the pyramid, or at least what Allura guessed to be a pyramid. From above the solid black object offered no indication that there was anything more than a square hole in the ground. As the lion lowered itself towards the ground the walls seemed to tilt upwards, as if an optical illusion. Eventually the slightest indication of its sharp edges came from a minute twinkle of light that raced up the harsh corners.

Before the temple stood a man... or so he first appeared. Like her mother, he had an aura about him that revealed his true nature. Allura felt this was in the early days of Aesh, before its god became a demon. She looked on as he created stone soldiers that strongly resembled the guardians of Oriande. These were knights, however, equipped with swords instead of spears.

Each stone soldier remained inanimate until the god laid hands upon them, a visible energy flowing from him into them. At his command they battled any undeserving creature that dared approached the temple. When they weren't clashing with an enemy they stood as sentries at the door. Every move they made was dictated by their creator. The princess looked down at Cosmo, understanding now why he had to use human hosts to survive on Earth. He had been a mere soul, confined to his homeworld, created for one purpose only.

 _To fight._

Allura smiled a bit at the thought of that. She always thought Keith got his fighting prowess from his mother, but it seemed he'd been given a double dose. No wonder he'd always wanted to negotiate with his weapon instead of his words.

The scene melted away as a new one appeared. It showed the deity of Aesh attempting to open a portal at the apex of the pyramid, before being stopped by the goddess Fala. A war between Oriande and Aesh ensued, culminating in the battle that banished the now-demon creature to another universe. Once the dust settled Allura saw her mother close the portal before extracting the souls of the granite soldiers and sealing them away in the altar of the temple.

The princess could feel Cosmo flinch at the memory and instinctively her hand rubbed his ear to calm him. "You must have been so scared, I'm sorry that happened to you. There was no reason to punish you for his crimes."

The space wolf responded by lifting his head to nuzzle her cheek, his fur tickling her skin. Allura's heart tightened a bit as she thought how the man who raised Keith was such a monumental part of the history of the entire universe. And yet there was a questions that needed to be answered.

"How did you end up on Earth?" she asked softly before glancing back to the display.

Static danced across the screen for a moment and once it cleared Allura was faced with a scene that devastated her. The goddess Fala was standing alone in the altar room. Her face was contorted with what looked like grief as she broke the seal on the stone prison where the sentinels had been held. Tears dripped from her mother's face as she begged the inmates for help. The ones who agreed were sent out into the universe to find their new charges as Fala collapsed to the floor, clutching her chest.

Allura burst into tears as she realized what had happened. Fala- or Melanor as she was known on Altea- had a terrible decision to make. She could have gone to rescue Alfor from Zarkon's sword and risk losing Voltron, but instead rushed to Aesh to seek help carrying out her husband's last wishes. The princess cursed the fact that her family had been forced to sacrifice so much and for what? Yet her pain was not the purpose of this exercise and she attempted to refocus on the display through her distorted vision.

As the picture came back into focus she saw the spirits of Aesh chasing down their targets. Cosmo's was the Blue Lion, which he intercepted on its way to Earth. Once they arrived he found an ancient human on the brink of death and took over the body, using it as a means to watch over the ship in case the Galra appeared. For millennia he waited patiently for Fala to call them back, moving from one recycled body to another along the way.

Keith's human dad was no exception. A car accident caused a head injury that left him in a coma as a teen, his mind virtually a blank slate. The body Cosmo was currently inhabiting was an elderly man and he'd been admitted to the hospital with a serious illness. Because they shared a room he observed that the young man had no family. Days, weeks, and then months went by with no visitors for the comatose patient. As the older body he was inhabiting began to fail, Cosmo left it to claim the other, much younger one.

Soon he was back out in the world, back to keeping an eye on the lion. He'd long ago built a shack to live in near the lion's den, but in recent years began to construct a larger home for his comfort. That's when the unexpected happened: a Galra ship crashed in the yard and he fell in love with the Galra pilot he rescued, eventually having a child with her. Allura giggled when she saw a very young Keith learning to walk for the first time, and she rolled her eyes when his first word was "no". His second was "dad" and the next was "sky". From a young age Keith started looking at the stars with intense interest. But that would soon change.

Cosmo stood and strained his neck to peer closer at the screen when it showed him running into a burning building. An elderly couple lived in the home and were trapped inside. The determined firefighter went in after them knowing they likely had already perished from the thick smoke. Still he looked from room to room as the structure began to crumble. Flames hissed angrily around him as a fire damaged beam fell onto his head, his last thought before blacking out was of his young son who was home alone.

 _An orphan._

Allura felt her throat spasm as she tried to hide her despair. Keith had been an orphan like her, but much younger. He also didn't have someone like Coran or the team to help him through it. Maybe his comment about her father was more regret on his part for losing his father the way he did. Either way she was beginning to realize how much they actually had in common. As soon as she got him back they were going to have a _very_ long talk.

Once again the display fizzled before a faint light appeared. The princess realized she was seeing things from the cockpit of the blue lion now, and that the lion was in its cave back on Earth. She recognized the symbols that were lighting up around the cave and watched as her five paladins dropped down into a pool of water.

Cosmo sat back on his haunch and seemed to smile at the sight of his son, and he watched proudly as Keith was the first to approach the massive ship. It was curious how comfortable he seemed compared to the others who hung back instead. Maybe his dad was the energy he'd felt drawing him to the lion. Allura realized that Blue must have absorbed Cosmo back into the astral plane, as Black had with Shiro. The poor thing waited years for his boy to find him, likely not knowing if he ever would. Their reunion must have overjoyed him, even if he couldn't communicate directly with his son.

The rest of the story flashed by, up until the point that Keith left for his last Blade mission. The goddess Fala called Cosmo back to Oriande, where she gave him a wolf's body and then sent him via comet to find Keith and Krolia. Allura watched with great interest as a montage of images showing Keith's time on the space whale flashed before her. In that place time moved faster for him than it did for the rest of the team, but now it would be moving at a snail's pace in the center of a black hole.

That meant there was a good chance he was still in this universe, she just had to get to him before he crossed over.

"Team, meet me in the conference room immediately," she instructed over the comms. Looking down at Cosmo she made a pledge. "We're going to rescue Keith, _I promise_."


	8. Two Halves into Whole

With the exception of Hunk, the rest of the team still had barely touched their lunches. They listened intently as Allura told them of her experiences with Cosmo at Oriande and in the Blue Lion. Lance dropped his fork when he heard that Keith was Cosmo's son, and Coran choked on his sandwich when Allura explained who her mother really was. The princess suspected her loyal advisor was more shocked that there was something he didn't know about her father than anything else.

As the tension in the room faded, the team began animatedly discussing the possibilities for rescuing Keith. None seemed plausible, however, as Shiro pointed out repeatedly. Even if they executed one of them flawlessly the chances of Keith surviving were slim. Even Allura was hesitant to take that kind of chance. Still, she wasn't ready to give up.

"So Allura, it sounds like you and Keith really are total opposites," Lance pondered as he pushed his vegetables around his plate absentmindedly. "Maybe that's why you two were always butting heads. You're like that Yin and Yang stuff."

The comment annoyed Allura and she quickly snapped back at him. "We had our disagreements but we were always looking out for each other. At least he cared enough to speak out when I needed him to!"

Lance sat a moment in shocked silence before his cheeks began to heat with anger. "Hey, I cared enough to stick around while he was off playing with his Galra buddies," he retorted, his voice rising as he spoke. "You're just feeling guilty. Remember it was the Black Lion's idea to strand him on Aesh, so maybe we should leave Keith there to do his job!"

As soon as the words flew out of his mouth a loud crash shook the table, causing the team to jump in their seats. Allura looked to her left to see Shiro's mechanical fist embedded in the metal tabletop. The sight of it made Lance slink down in his chair, the younger man's attention suddenly shifting to a loose thread on his jacket. Afraid she was losing control of the conversation Allura cleared her throat and continued to speak.

"Yes, Keith did leave but he also came back. He saved us from Lotor's evil plan, remember?" She sat a moment rehashing Lance's comment in her mind, wanting to be sure to dispel any animosity the team might have had for their missing leader. "But despite our differences I always felt more secure when he was around. Not like that Yin and….whatever that thing was Lance said."

"Yin and Yang," Pidge stated matter-of-factly. "It's an ancient belief in the balance of good and evil."

"That's not exactly right, Pidge." Shiro let out an exhausted sigh before continuing to correct her, "They're complementary halves to one whole, relying on each other at all times. Light isn't light without darkness, and vice versa. Evil doesn't really play a role in it though."

"So, in other words, Lance was kinda right about them being Yin and Yang." The group looked to Hunk with curiosity, waiting for an explanation. "I mean, they couldn't be more different and yet they're alike in a lot of ways. Like, they're both strong-willed but also soft-hearted. I think they'd make a good couple, honestly."

"I'm soft-hearted!" Lance yelped as he sat up quickly.

"More like soft-headed," Pidge snorted as she adjusted her glasses. "You're not anywhere close to being on their level."

"Okay, okay. You two knock it off," Shiro commanded as he rubbed his forehead. "But the fact is that Allura and Keith are both closely connected with Oriande and Aesh, which seem to be polar opposites of one another. If the theory holds true about light and dark, you could have been fated for each other."

Lance looked as if he wanted to argue but quickly retreated under Shiro's harsh glare. Allura was beginning to feel that Lance's jealousy was going to be a problem if they had to fight the demon. She needed him to not be distracted by it and cause their plan to fail.

"Now that I think of it, Lance and Pidge are like that, too." Allura bit the inside of her lip to avoid laughing out loud at her own assertion. "Both different but alike, and well suited for one another."

"That's ridiculous, we barely get along! Tell her how wrong that idea is, Pidge," Lance blurted, only to freeze when he noticed Pidge's face turning redder by the second. Her eyes started to tear up a bit as she jumped from her chair to run from the room.

Hunk stood to chase after her but was stopped by Lance's hand. "No, buddy, I think I need to be the one to talk to her. I'll bring her back," he offered as he shuffled through the open door.

Allura hated herself for opening Pidge up to ridicule, but she couldn't let Lance's emotions impede the mission. He needed sense knocked into him anyway, because everyone _but_ him seemed to know to whom his heart truly belonged..

"Shiro, please continue," Allura pled softly as she cast her eyes down to her hands- the treacherous hands that betrayed Keith when he needed them the most. Her fingers curled into fists as she fought back her own tears. "We really don't have much time to figure this out."

The former paladin pulled out his tablet and used it to pull up information on Taoism. The divided circle piqued the princess' curiosity as she pondered its meaning. Even though both sides were equal they didn't appear that way at first glance. She listened intently to Shiro's detailed explanation of the balance required for all living things to thrive. It really did describe her relationship to Keith perfectly.

 _He was fire. She was water._

Even their lions chose them for those qualities.

 _His presence changed her. Her presence tamed him._

"So, how do we use this information to save mullethead?" The voice came from the doorway, and everyone turned to see that Lance and Pidge had returned to the conference room. Lance draped his arm over the green paladin's shoulders and pulled her closer before continuing. "This little brainiac can probably solve any problem we throw at her, right?"

Allura guessed that whatever Lance said to apologize was effective, as Pidge responded confidently to his suggestion.

"I do have an idea," she offered, removing her glasses to wipe them on the hem of her sweater. "We'll just need to make a quick stop to pick something up from Haggar's old base."


	9. Disparate

"Wow, I can't believe we managed to pull this off!" Pidge exclaimed breathlessly as she collapsed into the pilot's seat in her lion's cockpit.

"Yeah the Blade has certainly lost their... _edge_ ," came a voice over the comms.

Allura could hear Hunk rolling his eyes as he responded. "Oh my god, Coran, you did not just make a pun while we're running for our lives did you?"

"Hey, he's got a point," Shiro deadpanned. "All this peace has left them a bit rusty."

The rest of the team groaned as they took off back to the Atlas with their stolen cargo. The princess couldn't help but think it was a bit too easy for them to make off with so much dark quintessence despite it being guarded by the Marmora. She'd purposefully not told Kolivan their plan for fear he might try to stop them; she'd not told Krolia for fear she might try to join them.

This mission was one that had high stakes, of that there was no doubt. Any attempt at humor was their nerves talking, a refusal to allow darker thoughts to embed in their minds. Allura had seen it before, when her father lead the paladins of old into battle with Zarkon. Still she did her best to ready them for all possible outcomes. Therefore the team prepared for the worst, each paladin carving out a few minutes to record a final farewell to family and friends.

She could only hope that this fight would end with the messages never being sent.

"Okay Coran, open a wormhole," she commanded as her lion touched down in its hangar. "Get us as close to the black hole surrounding Aesh as you can without putting the ship in danger."

As her feet hit the tarmac she could feel the engines pulsing through the floors, a tell-tale sign that the Atlas was entering the wormhole. A team of engineers surrounded the Blue Lion to make the alterations they would need for this mission. Cosmo greeted her halfway to the door and whisked her to the flight deck, where Coran and Commander Holt were waiting for her.

"Is it ready?" she asked no one in particular, only caring about the answer.

The two men exchanged concerned glances before answering. "Slav believes it has a 47 percent chance of working," Coran responded, attempting to sound more positive than he obviously felt. "And we've found a rogue planet to land it on as soon as you give the order, Princess."

Allura closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Then prepare for launch," she commanded as she placed her hands on the wormhole generator. When she heard the buzzer she began the countdown, "3….2….1….deploy containment field."

The ship's crew watched the unmanned rocket separate from the Atlas and then disappear into the swirling abyss, eventually seeing it exit the other side via an onboard camera. Slowly it made its way to the abandoned planet, touching down in a rocky crater. The casing broke away to reveal the glass prison built to hold the mightiest of foes. Only after systems diagnostics were run and they verified it was secured did she breathe a sigh of relief.

One step down. Next was to retrieve Keith.

After getting the "all clear" from Coran, Allura grabbed Cosmo by the scruff of his neck. In the blink of an eye they were on Aesh, Keith standing directly in front of them but facing the opposite direction. Without taking even a moment to alert him to their presence, the princess threw her free hand onto Keith's shoulder and the three of them rematerialized inside the containment field they'd installed on the barren planet.

Unsure how much her Red paladin was in control, Allura stepped back cautiously when he spun around to face her. Her heart was beating erratically as she saw his eyes had changed dramatically. Shiro once mentioned having a faint memory of this happening when Keith fought Kuron, but Allura had never seen it herself. Worries that his Galra side had fully overtaken him only abated when his irises returned to their normal hue.

"Allura, what are you doing?" he asked, a tinge of panic in his voice. "He's taken over my body. I- I could kill you!"

With those words his knees buckled and Keith folded in on himself as he fell to the ground. Allura barely caught him before his head hit the rocky ground, cradling him in her arms as she knelt down beside his weakened form. Carefully she removed his helmet to gain a better view of his face. His hair was drenched with sweat but his skin was paler than usual. Quickly she ripped off her gloves to feel the warmth of his face, checking to see if he was either too hot or too cold. When he didn't respond to her touch she shook him gently to bring him around.

"Keith, please wake up!" she begged, her bottom lip beginning to tremble with worry. "I finally have you back, please tell me you're okay!"

She pulled him up further into her chest, removing her own helmet to place a light kiss on his forehead. When she did so she felt a tug on her body, as if something was pulling the air from her lungs and the blood from her veins simultaneously. Immediately she felt Keith's hand shove her away as he slowly sat himself up. Allura froze when she saw his eyes glow purple for a brief moment, realizing that the entity possessing him had tried to steal her quintessence.

"Please Allura, you _need_ to get out of here. You're not safe with me," he insisted, looking around for an exit. When he realized there wasn't one he tried to call Cosmo to his side, but the wolf refused to budge.

"I'm not leaving here until we free you from this creature." Allura stood and reached to pull him up. "We have a plan, but we need your help."

Keith lifted his arm as if to take her hand, instead slapping it away. His expression was almost sinister, a sly grin creeping up one corner of his mouth. The princess angrily pulled him up by the collar of his armor, slamming him into the glass wall of the containment field. Taking a determined step forward she stood nose-to-nose with him, as if daring him to make a move.

"I don't know what game you're playing with my paladin, but I will have you know that this is far from over." The words came out with so much venom she scared herself, which gave her hope the demon felt fear as well. "Mark my words: you will not harm anyone. _Ever_ again."

With that promise she decided she needed to coax Keith back out, to convince him to fight. Eschewing words, her argument came in the form of contact once again. Pressing her lips into his she forced a kiss, lingering there until she could feel his muscles lose their tension and his lips began to respond to hers.

Of all the ways she'd imagined their first kiss, this was not how she wanted it to happen.

Soon Keith had overtaken her, his kisses dotting her jawline to her neck and back to her mouth. Allura panicked a bit when she realized that they felt desperate, rushed. Rarely was the red paladin ever scared but now he seemed terrified. Any moment now he could lose control. Any moment now he could be lost.

Realizing she may only have moments to speak with him she tucked her head into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Keith, I love you. I'm here for you. Let's go home."

"I can't. I'm sorry." His response was so guilt-laden Allura knew it was him speaking. "This is my destiny. If I don't do this everyone will die."

Taking his face in her hands she stared at him intently. "Says who? You do not have to sacrifice yourself, we can do this together."

Keith shook his head. "No, Allura. I've seen this. When I was on the space whale, I saw my fate."

"What did you see?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"I saw myself crossing into the portal."

"Then what?"

A moment of silence followed by a muted answer. "Then nothing."

Allura was shocked at the assertion. If it ended there that meant he died on the other side. It meant she'd failed to save him.

"But what about me? Did you see me coming to save you?"

The steel gaze he gave her made her heart drop. "You weren't there. Nobody was there."

The princess couldn't be sure who began to cry first, or for what reason Keith was crying, but every atom of her being screamed out in agony. "Why? Why didn't I come for you?"

"Because you died."


	10. You For Me

"That's not funny."

"I'm not joking."

Of course he wasn't. Allura could see by the look on his face he was serious, and it sent shivers up her spine. She took notice of every single breath, every heartbeat.

 _Yes, still alive._

Weakened by Keith's sudden confession Allura sank back down to the ground, her knees tucked under her chin as if they were required to hold her head up. Following her lead Keith lowered himself to sit beside her, his own head needing her shoulder for support.

They sat there without a word, the only sound an occasional exhale. In the silence Allura's thoughts began to form a cohesive story, one that shook her completely. Although there was a part of her that didn't want to know she felt she owed it to Keith to hear the truth.

"So it wasn't luck that you blocked that hit, was it?" she asked, certain of the answer.

Keith shifted slightly, angling this head so that his forehead rested against her cheek. "Every night for two years I watched you die in my arms," he answered, a tremor accentuating his words. "For two years I dreaded returning to you. I was afraid to want to be with you."

The princess wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in tighter. For the first time he seemed small to her, almost helpless. For the first time she had nothing to say to try to fix things. She could only remember the nightmares she'd had about Keith and knew that, at the very least, he never died in her dreams. Now she understood why, after his return to the team, he seemed to avoid her unless danger was near.

But his revelation opened more questions. "So if you saved me, you changed our fate. That means we can change it once again."

"I got lucky."

"That wasn't luck, Keith," Allura argued. "You knew it was coming. Maybe fate wanted to prepare you to change the outcome of the war."

"Or maybe it wanted _me_ to die instead of _you_ , Princess."

Allura could feel the aura around Keith change along with his voice. Gone was the sweet concern and in its place was a cruel imposter. Even if he truly believed that he'd never dream of voicing it to her. If anything, he would placate her with soothing words to try to cheer her up.

No, this was certainly not the pilot of the Black Lion speaking.

"Or maybe it wanted me to save you in turn," she responded cooly, standing to move away from the demon. "It seems that is our destiny."

Allura turned back to address him fully, only to see Keith's hand flying towards her. Before she had a chance to dodge them his large fingers wrapped tightly around her neck, his arm easily lifting her off the ground as he choked the life from her. No amount of struggling broke his hold, and soon her vision began to blur as she gasped futilely. Just as her view grew dark she felt a wave of air rush into her lungs, her feet firmly on the ground.

Or, more accurately, on the floor of her lion's cockpit.

The realization hit her that Cosmo had whisked her away at the last second, and that Blue had come to her aid as well. Slumping into her seat she buried her face in her hands as tears began to flow. Once again she had Keith in her grasp, only to lose him at the last moment. Now he was alone once again- with the exception of the evil entity possessing him. Quickly she turned to implore Cosmo to return her to the containment field, only to find he'd disappeared.

Frantic she steered her ship towards the barren planet, pushing it to speeds she'd never once attempted. No sooner had she pushed the throttle to its limit when she felt the giant metal lion quake violently. The Black Lion had overtaken her, blowing past her so fast that it created a wake in the vacuum of space. By the time she caught up to it the ship had already settled on the dusty planet, its head lowered to the ground.

A cursory glance at the containment field told her that Keith had either escaped or was freed by Cosmo. Because neither was part of the plan Allura worried that the evil creature might have done harm to the space wolf or worse, done harm to Keith himself. Landing as closely as possible, the princess ran from her ship to his, not even stopping to put her helmet back on. Her mind was set on only one thing: saving the man she loved.

Inside the lion she found Keith semi-conscious, unable to stand but somewhat able to speak. "Cosmo….saved….took….place."

Allura tried to piece together his words, at first dismissing ideas that Cosmo would free such a dangerous foe. But she was looking at Keith, outside the prison, inside his lion. His eyes rolled in her direction, a plea being wired to her from the depths of his soul. He wanted her to save his friend.

 _No, his father._

That was her second biggest concern, however, as his breathing became labored. Allura cursed her shaking hands as she attempted to pry Keith from his armor, prepping him as much as possible for the healing pod on the Atlas. The lion carried them without so much as a single word from her, arriving in the hangar in what seemed to be an impossibly short time. Medics flooded the cockpit and carried him out on a stretcher, his left arm hanging limply over the side.

The rest of the team met them in the medical ward, flanking the pod as they waited for a sign of life. After hours of waiting they departed one by one, each going about their business of preparing for the inevitable battle with the demon. Eventually Allura was alone with him again, her palms pressed against the glass in a bid to let him feel her presence. Closing her eyes she concentrated her energy into the pod, letting everything she'd felt for him until now pour out of her. If he needed a reason to live she wanted it to be for her sake, as well as the sake of the universe.

But mostly hers.

Maybe not the past, though. No, he needed to live for the future. The future that wouldn't involve fighting, that would allow them to live together as two beings desperately in love. Visions of peaceful afternoons at Keith's childhood home back on Earth, of shared joys. Marriage. Children. Family. Falling asleep in each others arms then waking up to "love yous". Arguments over silly things that lead to making up the best way possible.

Allura shook her head as the thought began to take shape in an unseemly manner. Now wasn't the time for such fantasies, and she refocused on all of the other things she wanted to share with him. Soon her visions morphed into something else. Not changed fully, but altered without her will. A beautiful new castle ship, a new Altea. Even more children. And Keith always no more than one step behind her as she moved through the halls of the palace.

Without looking the princess knew Keith was waking. The things she was seeing weren't her dreams, they were his. What he wanted for her. _For them_.

As the partition dissolved Allura's hands were without support, causing her to stumble forward into the healing pod. Keith caught her and pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head as she buried her face in his chest, overcome with relief.

"I know you don't really want to be stuck on Earth."

Allura pulled away to look him in the eye, checking for any hint of insincerity. A smile confirmed she found none. "I'll go wherever you are."

He returned her smile with a wink. "I think that's my line."

This time Keith took the lead, leaning down to meet her lips with his. Allura could feel his quintessence lighten, as if cleansed of his past. He'd finally come back to her.


	11. Holding On

"Hey guys, Keith's awake!" Pidge shouted as he and Allura entered the ship's bridge. She ran over to give him a hug, followed by the other paladins.

Shiro was the last to greet him, a relieved smile adorning his face. "It's good to have you back."

Once the reunion ended they moved to the war room, where Iverson briefed them on what his staff had accomplished in the time Allura was with Keith. Voltron had been retrofitted with weapons that could use dark quintessence without infecting the giant robot. It had also been updated with the technology used in Lotor's Sincline ship to assist them in jumping between realities if necessary.

"Obviously we don't want to use it if we don't have to," Coran reminded them. "But we can't leave him to run rampant in another reality either. He is our problem after all."

"Actually, that isn't exactly true," Keith argued, drawing confused stares from the others in the room. "He's from their reality."

The crew listened intently as their captain explained himself. Oriande was created as two halves, one in this reality and the other serving as a gateway from other realities. The same was true for Aesh. The demon god was not originally from this reality; instead he was sent as a guardian to defend his reality from invaders. However he fell in love with the Goddess Fala, who rebuffed his advances. Her rejection set him on his path of destruction and left her with no choice but to force him to return to his universe.

"That's why he focused on destroying my people," Allura muttered to herself. "It was personal."

Keith reached over and took her hand. Allura remembered the last time he held it, when they were ejected into space. His own seemed so much larger then but since Keith had grown a bit they dwarfed hers. They were warm and comforting, gentle yet strong. But then she remembered when he grabbed her by the throat and instinctively reached for her neck with her empty hand. He must have noticed because he pulled away abruptly, mumbling an apology.

There was a time when she would have let his hand go easily. There was also a time when she let Keith walk out of her life. She was done letting go. Stretching her arm out she proudly laid claim to his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. His visage flickered from dejected to elated, his lips and tongue mouthing a wordless _thank you_.

"So, what do you two think?"

Allura was startled by the question, not realizing that Shiro had been talking during their moment. "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?"

Shiro's amused look meant that he hadn't really said anything important. The princess huffed at his audacity to mock her feelings, but didn't want to let her emotions impact the mission. After all, they still had to get out of this one last fight alive, so being prepared meant concentrating on the task at hand.

"How about you explain it one more time, for the guy who almost died," Keith snarked. "After all I did buy you guys lots of time to work on this."

When nobody responded Keith looked at Allura wide-eyed. She knew what he was thinking and it embarrassed her immensely. "Well, we kind of just came up with it," she responded, shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to communicate her apology. "After all, we did just find out where you were."

"Hey buddy, because of you Pidge came up with a kick-ass idea," Lance added, offering the green paladin his fist which she met with her own. "It's kinda like what we did in the quintessence field that time. You know, with the big beam thing."

"What he means to say," Pidge interrupted before Lance could ramble on, "is that we're going to drown him with dark quintessence."

Keith nodded his head to indicate he understood and agreed. "That will certainly stun him, but will it kill him?"

"Truth is we don't know," Coran answered. "But it's the best shot we have."

The answer seemed to agitate Keith. "Then how do we save my dad."

The question silenced the room that had just a moment before been filled with whispers and the sound of shuffling papers. Everyone looked to Allura, likely under the assumption that she had accidentally clued Keith into Cosmo's true identity. Knowing this wasn't the case Allura could only stammer a few words in an incoherent sentence.

"How- how, I didn't... did I?"

"I figured it out early on," he admitted sheepishly. "I just never said anything. You'd have thought I was imagining things anyway."

The answer seemed to satisfy the others and the room resumed its chatter. The Garrison pilots left to prep their MFEs while Commander Holt went to instruct the Alliance to prepare any available ships should they be required. Hunk offered to make the paladins a quick meal to get their energy up and insisted Shiro join them. He likely realized that, despite all they had been through together, this was likely the biggest fight any of them had ever encountered.

They'd be lucky to survive.

After a meal that included a barrage of questions aimed at Keith, the team divided up to rest until the scout team located their target. Despite their exhaustion none of them seemed intent on sleeping, however. Pidge and Lance went to play games, Hunk started a cake batter, and Shiro headed to the bridge to monitor the proceedings.

The entire time Keith never once let go of Allura's hand, not even while he was eating. The princess decided that they needed time alone to decompress. They made their way to her room, lying down on her bed to wrap themselves up in each other's arms. For a while they talked about what had happened during Keith's absence, including what she'd learned about his father. Allura then told him about her dreams. He listened intently until she started to describe the unusual one of them moving in together.

He lifted his head off the pillow slightly before cutting her off. "Allura, that was _my_ dream."

She was surprised at how well he described the circumstances, including how Lance tried to wake her. Allura thought it curious how neither of them seemed terribly disturbed at the revelation, instead treating it as a side effect of caring intensely for one another. Instead it made her ecstatic to know that their connection was real and tangible. It relieved her that they now had a very real chance at making that dream a reality.

Despite their best efforts the two soon fell asleep and were awakened to the blaring of alarms ringing through the hallway. When they arrived on the bridge the sight they were greeted with was terrifying. Not only was Cosmo as large as a robeast now, but he was flanked by ships that looked all too familiar.

"Alteans," was the only word uttered.

Allura didn't even register who exactly said it, but there was no doubt that it was the ship commanded by Hira. Somehow her fleet had travelled from their own reality, and it looked like they had a score to settle.

"Griffin, scramble your fighters," barked Iverson as he took his position on the ship's controls. "Shirogane, the bridge is yours."

Shiro assumed the helm as he studied the data. "Keith, get the lions to draw the beast away but avoid its touch. We can't have you getting zapped into another reality until Allura can join you. Princess, open a wormhole. We're going to need that backup."

Allura headed for the generator as the team dispersed to their lions. Before leaving Keith approached Allura, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "No matter what happens out there today, promise you'll come back to me."


	12. A Ghost of a Chance

Fleets of ships streamed through the portal, bringing Olkari, Taujeerians, Balmerans, and more. Matt arrived with a battalion of rebels and took the lead engaging the smaller ships as the Atlas concentrated on the Altean mothership. The battle was in full swing as fighters arrived from all over the universe, and each additional fighter helped tip it in the Alliance's favor.

By the time Allura closed the wormhole and joined the paladins in her lion the team was engaged in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Each paladin took it in turns to shoot then dodge, trying desperately to stay just outside the reach of the giant creature. Allura snuck up behind him, aiming her freeze ray at the robeast's head. This bought them time to form Voltron without worry, and the minute the giant robot was ready Keith ordered everyone to fire their retrofitted weapons.

The beast- whose fur had already changed to a purple hue as opposed to his usual blue- howled as the dark quintessence overwhelmed him, falling heavily to the surface of a nearby asteroid. As soon as Voltron formed the blazing sword the decisive swing was made, opening a gap in the wolf's chest that bled violet miasma. The poison gas seeped into the lions, causing the paladins to wheeze and cough. Allura's head was swimming, and soon she fainted from the fumes.

When she came to she realized she was no longer in her lion but in the astral plane. She looked around in a panic, unsure if she had died or if her lion was simply trying to communicate with her. None of the other paladins were with her, which eased her mind slightly until she realized that if they'd all died they'd almost certainly be separated in their individual lions' consciousnesses. She couldn't be with Keith even in the afterlife? She'd rather the lion release her soul into the emptiness of space to become nothing more than dust.

"Allura, my daughter," came a familiar voice, breaking her from her thoughts.

Spinning on her heels she found herself face-to-face with her father, King Alfor. "Father, how are you here? I thought I'd lost you forever!"

Alfor reached out to caress her cheek, smiling proudly at the capable leader his daughter had become. "When my AI became corrupted my essence was absorbed by the Red Lion. I exist as part of Voltron's consciousness."

"Then where is everyone else? Are they okay?" she asked, desperation in her voice. "Why am I the only one here?"

"Because I brought you here to tell you something," he answered calmly. "You can save Keith's father the same way I was saved. But it could be dangerous."

Whatever it was Allura had already made up her mind to do it. "I'm listening."

The princess came to with a start, hearing the sounds of her teammates gagging from the smoke. Her father had not had a chance to tell her how to save Keith's dad, but before Allura concerned herself with that she needed to save her team. Reaching for the controls she pressed a button she'd never used before. It was an eject button that would send the five paladins hurtling into space, and with any luck it would also suck the bad air from the lions as well.

The last time she was flung into space Keith was able to catch her. This time there was too much distance between them and she realized they were all speeding away from one another. Quickly she fired her jetpack to steady herself, each paladin following suit one after the other.

Once they were together they joined hands to form a circle, looking up at the unmoving giants that loomed over them. It was only a matter of time before the robeast expelled the demon, and they needed to be ready. Allura looked to her teammates one by one, each nodding their heads in understanding. Together they reached out to their respective lions, willing Voltron to move. Slowly it began to respond, arms and legs shifting awkwardly.

Black was the only one that didn't respond, leaving Keith visibly frustrated. "I can't connect with my lion. This isn't going to work, I need to get back in there!"

Allura shot a glance over to him, telegraphing her words through her eyes.

 _Shut up and trust me._

Keith gave her a curious look but relinquished control. The princess connected with the others, their quintessence flowing into her. As she closed her eyes she could see through the Black Lion's instead, the dying robeast before her. To her right a panel slid upwards, vying for her attention.

She'd rarely ever used her bayard in battle, but now it seemed necessary. The only problem was how to get it to the ship. Keith had called his bayard to himself, could she do the same but in the other direction? Allura concentrated on the location it needed to go, visualizing herself sitting in the cockpit. Soon the bayard was in her hand and she thrust it into the slot, turning it like a key.

A whip appeared in Voltron's right hand, the barbs sizzling with dark quintessence. For this to work Allura would have to resist any attempt from the beast to draw energy from the robot, instead operating in the opposite manner. She needed to draw the lifeforce from the creature without drawing in the demon as well.

Taking a deep breath she gave one final order. "Okay everyone, I need you to have my back!"

The whip snapped in the air, the tip lassoing around the robeast's neck. As it tightened like a noose the creature's body convulsed, a blue glowing energy creeping up the weapon towards the handle. It was about halfway when suddenly the energy began to move in the opposite direction, pulling light quintessence from the mighty warrior as it began to fall away. Allura fought against it as best as she could but could feel her grip starting to weaken. Her body went limp, her arms and legs as immobile as stone.

Then she felt Keith's arm wind around her waist, pulling her towards him. "You can do this. _We_ can do this," he said, tightening the embrace. "I love you, no matter what."

Allura realized he understood that she was afraid she might destroy his father and was giving his blessing for her to continue fighting. He didn't know what she was doing he trusted her to do the right thing. The energy she was receiving from him balanced her, and it gave her the push she needed to go on.

Now they were together in the Black Lion, Allura's hand on the bayard and Keith's hand on hers.

Once again the quintessence began to flow in the right direction, finally making its way to Red. As soon as the transfer was complete Allura disengaged her bayard, leaving the giant creature to float lifelessly. The paladins broke the circle, each pilot returning to their lions so Voltron could assist the Atlas in its fight against the Alteans.

Allura reached her lion first, and as soon as she sat down there was a sudden movement from the robeast. It lurched towards the giant robot, grabbing the right foot with Cosmo's sharp teeth. The princess screamed as the fangs pierced the cockpit. She could hear the others calling out to her, then silence.

Frantically she tried to hail Keith, then the others. Even Coran didn't respond to her call. The beast shook its head, rocking the lion violently. Allura began to feel sick to her stomach, her head pounded. Every tick that went by felt like a weight being added to her chest.

A quick systems check verified what she most feared. The demon had zapped her- and Voltron- into the alternate reality. The lack of chatter meant she was alone, inaccessible to the others. Unsure what to do she wrapped her fingers tightly around the throttle, calling out to her father.


	13. To Soothe the Savage Robeast

This time when she found herself on the astral plane she was greeted not only by her own father, but also by Keith's. "Allura, you rescued me back there," he acknowledged gratefully. "Now let me return the favor."

He extended his hands, one to her and one to Alfor, and closed his eyes. Allura followed suit and saw a blurry vision of Keith who was still in their reality. As her view became clearer she could see the worry in his eyes as his head whipped around in all directions, trying desperately to spot her. She needed to let him know she was alive at the very least.

Concentrating on his face, she attempted to contact him via her thoughts. "This isn't working," she complained as she looked to the two men, "he can't hear me!"

Alfor smiled at this daughter knowingly. "This plane exists across all universes," he said as he motioned to Keith's father. "We'll just need to bring him here."

As soon as he said this Keith materialized before her. Elated, Allura ran to embrace him, only to realize there was a clear barrier between them. "What's going on?" she demanded, frustrated by his distance. "Keith, can you hear me?"

At first the paladin looked at her with confusion. Then he seemed to realize where he was. Just as Allura had done he attempted to make contact with her, only to fail miserably. They tried to shatter the glass-like partition, only to end up angrier with each attempt. No matter which direction they moved in, no matter how fast they ran, there was no reaching the other. Finally the two elder men stepped forward, one on each side of the princess.

"See what you want in your mind," her father advised her. "Visualize the balance you bring to one another."

This time she reached out her hand to Keith, not in a pushing or punching motion but as an invitation. Taking her lead Keith reached his mirrored hand towards her. Stepping cautiously towards him she pictured them in her mind.

She pictured every time he settled her when she was restless. She pictured every time she gave him purpose.

Every moment they had alone together was a moment she felt at peace. Angry at herself for missing it before she decided to not just let her feelings towards him reach the surface, but to allow his to reach her as well. The things they had said were less significant than the ones left unsaid.

Soon their surroundings began to change, a blue tinged glow seeping out over the terrain. The wall that separated them melted away as their hands touched with a spark. The light that surrounded them shone so brightly Allura was momentarily blinded. When the glow subsided it revealed Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, with linked hands as they surrounded the couple.

Together they once again connected with their lions. Red and Green grabbed the robeast by the shoulders, forcing it to free Blue from its jaws. Yellow landed a blow to the soft belly of the creature, sending it hurtling further into space. The demon scrambled to gain traction to charge the mighty robot, disappearing and reappearing at will as the team struggled to keep up.

"He knows our fighting style, what do we do?" asked Pidge, concern shrouding her face.

"Let me help you," offered Alfor as he held his hand out to Keith. "I didn't fight all those years ago because I was afraid. Now it's time for me to correct that."

Keith passed his bayard to the fallen king, expecting it to become a sword like the one he'd carried as a paladin. Instead it became a book of magic, from which he drew an ailm. The cross appeared on the chestplate of Voltron before being flung towards the creature. It landed on the wolf's forehead, scorching the flesh as it sunk into the dark fur.

Immediately the beast shrank back to his original size, the soul of the demon rising up from it. Its purple hue faded into silver as it finally seemed at peace. The remnants of their cruelest foe began to dissipate, evaporating into the abyss of the universe.

Allura turned to her father and saw him for what he truly was. Before he was a warrior, or even a ruler, he was a man with a gift for magic. He'd been forced into a role that wasn't suited for him, never afforded the luxury of performing all that he was capable of.

Weeping with relief as well as sorrow she reached out to embrace him, revelling in his success. "Thank you, father."

Turning back to Keith she saw that he was also overcome with emotion as he greeted his father for the first time.

"Dad, can you stay?" he asked, a cloud of doubt hanging over him. "There's so much I need to tell you. So much to ask!"

His father placed a hand on Keith's head, patting him as if he were a child. "Now that you're safe we have all the time we need."

"Can you do me a favor in the meantime?"

"Of course son, just name it."

"The next time you have to rescue me, can you not leave me floating in space without my helmet on? Black almost didn't get to me in time."

As Allura grinned at their amusing interaction, her father took her aside. "My daughter, I've been watching over you this whole time," he confessed as he walked with her, "and there's something I need to say."

The princess braced for what was likely to come, anticipating his disapproval over her flying as a paladin. She went to argue but decided to wait for him to finish. After all she'd taken to being a pilot even better than he had, so surely he could see to support her decision.

A moment of silence went by before he stopped and turned to speak to her directly. "I want you to lead your people as a queen," he started, giving her doubt to any hopes she may have held. "But you have work left to do as a member of Voltron. And, more importantly, you need to go where your heart leads you."

Without thinking Allura turned to look at Keith, who was introducing the team to his father. He must have felt her eyes on him because he paused for a moment to glance her direction, his face lighting up as he smiled.

"I know where my heart belongs, Father."

"Then you both have my blessing," he offered, pulling her into a hug. "Your mother's as well."

As soon as Allura returned to the Atlas with Voltron she spotted Keith waiting for her in her lion's bay. The ship had barely touched down when she leapt from its mouth into his arms, knocking him to the ground as she assaulted him with kisses. He laughed as he returned her affections, pulling her tight into his chest.

He studied her face for a moment, looking for a clue to a secret he seemed to believe she was hiding. "So, what did your father say?" he asked with a hint of concern. "Can you stay?"

"On the team? Of course!" she teased, not wanting to give it up so easily.

Clearing his throat Keith prodded further. "No, I mean, can _we_ be together?"

Pulling her head up so her lips brushed his ears she whispered, "Forever, my love."

"Then marry me," he implored as he kissed her deeply.

Breaking the kiss momentarily she responded with a wink. "I think that's my line."


End file.
